Ratings and Reviews

CandiceMichelle1
, 07/12/2018

A sonic tribute to Glacier National Park

Composer and instrumentalist Jill Haley has made multiple appearances on other musicians’ recordings. However, she is also an outstanding solo performer in her own right who has released several impressive albums to date. What’s especially enjoyable about her solo works is her continuing theme of exploring the magnificent wonders of United States National Parks through her music. With previous albums that include Glacier Soundscapes, Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes, Mesa Verde Soundscapes and National Park Soundscapes, Jill’s music draws its inspiration from scenic deserts, forests, lakes and mountains across the U.S. map. Her latest album, The Waters of Glacier, is a sonic tribute to Glacier National Park, of which is located in northernmost Montana and bordering on Canada. Comprised of twelve instrumental ensemble pieces, the album features Jill on piano, oboe, English horn and handbells – plus supporting roles throughout courtesy of Dana Cullen on horn, David Cullen on guitar, Michael Manring on bass, and Tom Eaton on electric guitar, keyboards and bass.

The first track, “Clouds of Apgar Range”, is a somewhat unexpected opening from the norm, with its gorgeous, meditative handbells creating an almost reverent atmosphere. Gentle piano is subsequently introduced followed by Jill’s signature English horn, until the piece eventually concludes with the return of the handbells. “Rain on Huckleberry Mountain” is a relaxing, pastoral piece comprised of solo piano and English horn that aptly paints a picture of rain on a mountain. “Glacial Lakes” begins with gorgeous acoustic guitar figures from David Cullen, and evokes the wide-open spaces that Alex de Grassi conveyed so well in his Windham Hill years. Here, Jill’s English horn weaves a lovely melody inside David’s fingerpicked guitar.

“First Passageway” opens with mysterious piano chords followed by horn playing a melancholic melody in the lower pitch – while “Running Eagle Falls” begins with a bright piano figure as Jill’s oboe matches the piano in its upbeat, optimistic melody. A lone oboe opens “Falling Gold”, until minor-key piano enters the scene, then quickly shifts to major-key with an accompaniment of subtle bass and electric guitar. One notable observation I have, is that all these lovely pieces work so well because when composing them, Jill leaves plenty of space for each lead instrument so that they’re never wrestling one another for the spotlight.

“Frost Tinged Evergreens” sounds as captivating as its title suggests, with the piece’s contemplative pairing of simple piano and oboe conveying a ting of cold to it. David’s guitar returns for “Montana Rivers”, which is likewise accompanied by Michael Manring’s signature bass, along with Jill’s acrobatic (but never overplayed) oboe lines. “Ox-Bow Point” is perhaps the most solemn piece on the album with its almost ceremonious-like trio of horn, oboe and English horn. The aptly-titled “Ripples on Two Medicine Lake” is also one of my favorites, on which gently cascading piano is accentuated by the yearning touch of English horn. Another favorite is “October Snow”, which begins with a lonely piano motif followed by English horn. Shifting into a gentle darkness towards the middle part, the horn seemingly becomes its own voice that speaks to the coming of winter. Lastly, “Solitude” is a beautiful album closer appropriately comprised of solo piano – and effectively brings-to-mind some of Liz Story’s more reflective works.

An overall contemplative album from an accomplished recording artist, The Waters of Glacier perhaps boasts some of Jill Haley’s finest work yet. Additionally, fans of the classic Windham Hill sound will likely be particularly enthused with this fantastic release!

KathyPiano7
, 05/10/2018

From MainlyPiano

"The Waters of Glacier" is the fifth in series of recordings about the US National Parks by Jill Haley. Her 2016 release, "National Park Soundscapes," was a "thank you" and celebration of the Park Service's 100th anniversary. Known primarily as an oboist and an English horn player, Haley is also a very accomplished pianist and plays the piano extensively on these wonderful recordings. In 2016, Jill was able to spend a month in Glacier National Park as an Artist in Residence and composed several of the pieces on the album while she was there. She also took photographs, some of which grace the booklet inside the CD. In addition to Haley’s musical artistry, her husband, David Cullen, appears on guitar and her daughter, Dana Cullen, plays horn. Tom Eaton performs on electric guitar and keyboards, and Eaton and Michael Manring play bass on different tracks. The music is varied, as is the scenery in this spectacular park. When Haley arrived at Glacier in October, she was expecting beautiful fall weather. Instead, she was greeted with rain and snow. She decided to accept this “change in plans” as a gift and focused on the water in its various forms within the park. The results are beyond beautiful.

"The Waters of Glacier" begins with “Clouds on Apgar Range,” a piece performed with handbells, English horn, piano, bass, and keyboards and inspired by cloud formations floating among the Apgar Mountain Range. Slow, serene and graceful, it’s a lovely start. “Rain on Huckleberry Mountain” is a duet for piano and English horn (how does she do that???). Cool and refreshing, the piano suggests the steady rhythm of falling raindrops as well as a walking pace while walking a mountain trail as the English horn creates a feeling of peaceful solitude. I really like this one! “Glacial Lakes,” a duet for guitar and English horn, is also very calm and soothing, evoking images of ripples on the surface of a lake as a gentle breeze quietly stirs the water. “Running Eagle Falls” picks up the energy level in a tribute to a Blackfoot tribeswoman and the waterfall that bears her name. “Falling Gold” is an ensemble piece for piano, oboe, keyboards, electric guitar and bass that gracefully describes the golden aspen leaves drifting in the air and carpeting the surrounding area. I really like this one, too! “Montana Rivers” is a trio for oboe, guitar and bass (Manring) that captures the power and majesty of the waterways flowing through Glacier Park. “Solitude,” the only piano solo, brings the album to a close as it expressively describes Glacier National Park as “a perfect respite from the busyness of daily life” (quoted from the liner notes).

I have reviewed four of the five albums in this National Parks series and love them all, but I think "The Waters of Glacier" is my favorite (so far!). Recommended!